Cloth-napping mechanism



(No Model.)

C. M.- MUSGROVEL CLOTH NAPPING MECHANISM No; 600,885. Patented Mar. 22, 1898.

- 'mmm sures mmm omcE;

CHARLES M. MUSGROVE, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLOTH-NAPPING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATIQN form'ng part of Letters Patent No. 600,885, dated March 22, 1898.

Application filed June 29, 1897.

To aZZ whom it may con/067%.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. MUSGROVE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pitts field, county of Berkshire, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain 'new and useful Im pro vem ents in Cloth-Nappin g Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to such improve ments; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

(Reference may be had to the accompauying di'awings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specific-ation.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in both views.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a vertical crosssection of the cylinder, feed-circle, and takeup mechanism of a common form of a circular-knittlng machine, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the napping-rolls and a portion of their supporting mechanism.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective mechanism for producing or forming a nap or fleece upon the surface of knitted fabric, whereby the napping operation may proceed simultaneously with the knitting operation.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the cylinder of a common form of circular-knitting machine, and B the take-up mechanism, intermediately of which are the fabric guidin g and spreading rings O. C' represents the fabric. These parts are common to many styles of circular-knitting machines-as, for example, the Tompkins upright rotary knitting-machine, described at page 221, Volume 2, of Appleton Oycloped'a of Appled Illechamcs. In such machines the needle-cylinder and take-up mechanisns are rotated simultaneously and upon a common aXis by means of gears. The Construction and operation of such machines being well understood, I have omitted from the drawings the gear mechanism for rotating the cylinder and takeup and have shown only a part of the cylinder and take-up rolls. The Construction of these parts is immaterial for the purposes of this invention so long as said parts are adapt- Serial No. ;342,782. (No model.) i

ed to rotate in unison and upon a common axis, so as to impart to the knitted web a rotary movement as it passes from the cylinder to the take-up.

D is the feed-circle, which supports the several feed-stands, the latter being omitted from the drawings.

My improvement comprses a napping-roll rotary upon a fixed support and upon an inclined axis in the path of the knitted fabric intermediately of the cylinder and take-up mechanism. i i a p Gr is a napping-roll, which maybe any desired cylindrical bodyprovided with a covering of card Clothing. The roll is loo sely mounted upon the spindle G' to rotate freely thereon, the spindle being provided with a horizontal shank G rotatively adj ustable in bearings in the supporting plate or bar G wherein it can be locked in adjusted position by means of the screw G which clamps the members of the split hearing upon the inolosed shank. The plate G is also provided with a shank G adjustably secured in a similar manner in the bearing Gr in the upper end of the standard G The bottom of the standard is provided with a dovetailed recess adapted to receive the similarly-formed fiange D' on the feed-circle. The standard can be moved along the fiange and located at any desired point thereon by means of the set-screw D in the same manner as the feedstands are commonly secured in position.

In adjusting my attachment for use the shanks Gr and G of the roll-supporting spindle and bearing-plate are, one or both, adjusted longitudinally in their bearings until the card-teeth on the napping-roll extend across the path traversed by the fabric in passing from the cylinder to the take-up mechanism in position to be engaged by the fabric, whereby a rotary movement will be y IOO teeth, due to the inclination of the roll-spindle, causes the teeth as the roll is rotate'd by engagement with the rotating cloth to strain and pnll upon the surface fibers of the fabric v in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the rotating fabric, thereby producing upon such surface a nap 'or fleece which gives a soft and finished effect to the fabric. v

By varying the inclination of the roll-&Kis the vertical throw of the card-teeth can be varied, as desired, to produce a longer or shorter nap to meet varying requirements.

The napping-roll spin'dle may be supported in a fixed position in any known manner, so that the roll can oper'ate upon either side of the fabric, as desired. i

I have shown two napping-rlls in Fig. 2 with their spindles at varying degrees of inclinati'on 'and arranged so that the card-teetl will act s'cc'essively u'p'on the fabric,whereby the fibers can be more gradu-ally drawn out or stretched and with less liability of breaking the fibers than would be the ease where a 'single 'roll is employed.

My improved mechanism i's entirely automatic in its operation, requiring special' belts, pulleys, or other driVng-gear, and is easily renewed or readjsted. I

The napping-r'oll may be provided in any known manner with a tooth'ed or roughened surface adapted to rais'e a 'nap 'on the eng-ag'ed cloth.

It is characteristic of m invention that the napping-roll is rotated only by contact with the rotating web of fabrc and that the strain upon the fibers to form the nap is not in the direction o'f the rotary movement of the fabri'c and roll, bt transverselythei'ete and that such str ain i's dependent entirely upon the Vertical throw of the card-teeth while in engagement with the fabric. The strain upon the fibers is thus limited and determined by the degree of inclination of the roll--axis, and the fiber-s which form the nap are merely 'dr'a`wn out and not ruptured 'or broken, as is the case where a non-rotary napping device is 'employed or where the napping device is provided With positive driving mechansm.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-' 1. The combination with the rotary cylnder andtake-upme'chanism of a circular-knitting machine adapted to support and rotate a web of knitt'ed fabric, of a napping-roll r'oi tatively supported upon an inelined axis in the path of the knitt'ed web intermediately of the cyl inder and take-up me'chanis'm and adaptedto be rotated "on-ly by contact with the 'rotating web of fabric s1ibstantially as and for the purpose set forth 2. The combination with the rotary cylinder and take-up mechanism of a circular-'knitting machine, of a support, spindle adjustably m'ounted thereon, means for adjusti'n'g the spindle upon its support,wher'eby its ang'ular position relatively to the axis of rotaton of said mechanism may be Varie'd; and a p napping-roll rotary upon said 'spindle in the path of the knitted fabric intermediately of said cy-lind'er and take-up mechanisnr substantially as described In testinony 'whereof I have herent set my hand this 19th day of June, 1897-.

CHARLES M; MUSGROVE. Withe'sses':

FERD T. FRANCIS, E. A. CLARK. 

